Minus goaltender Tristan Jarry, Penguins stymied by Bruins

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a difficult time winning the Stanley Cup without the services of All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry.

On Saturday, they had plenty of trouble just trying to generate offense.

A stout defensive effort by the Boston Bruins stymied the Penguins’ attack and led to a 2-1 victory for the hosts at TD Garden.

Limited to 24 shots, one of their lowest figures of the season, the Penguins rarely challenged Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

With regards to their own crease, life figures to be challenging for the Penguins in their foreseeable future with Jarry sidelined indefinitely because of an undisclosed injury.

Coach Mike Sullivan labeled Jarry’s status as “week-to-week” while speaking with media Saturday morning in Boston.

The NHL’s postseason is scheduled to open in a little more than two weeks (May 2).

Aside from labeling Jarry’s ailment as “lower body,” the team has not officially offered many specifics. He appeared to be favoring the right foot area of his lower body during Thursday’s 6-3 home win against the New York Islanders after Islanders forward Anders Lee tripped and slid into his right leg midway through the third period.

“He finished out (Thursday’s) game,” Penguins forward Teddy Blueger said. “So I think when that happened, no one thought anything of it until we saw him after the game. He wasn’t doing too well.”

In Jarry’s place, the Penguins turned to backup goaltender Casey DeSmith on Saturday. He made 27 saves on 29 shots as his record fell to 8-5-5.

DeSmith’s station as the team’s temporary top goaltender got off to a rickety start in Saturday’s contest when he lost his bid for a shutout with 59:11 remaining in regulation when Bruins forward Trent Frederic collected his

After Penguins forward Jeff Carter won a faceoff in his own left circle, Penguins defenseman John Marino failed to settle the puck behind the cage and allowed it to slide to the right wall. Bruins forward Trent Frederic chased it down and jabbed a pass to linemate Craig Smith in the right corner. Cycling into the right circle, Smith lifted a wrister that appeared to be wide on the near side. DeSmith lunged out of his crease to knock the puck down with his right shoulder and allowed a rebound to bounce to the front of the crease. Frederic beat Marino to the puck and batted a backhander into the mostly vacant cage for his sixth goal this season. Smith had the only assist.

A mere 1:12 later, the Bruins took a two-goal lead. Racing into the offensive zone, Bruins forward Erik Haula ripped a heavy wrister from above the left circle. DeSmith punched away the puck with his blocker to the left circle where Haula reclaimed the puck and zipped a centering pass to the crease that was intended for linemate Taylor Hall. Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson was in sound position to break up the sequence but inadvertently directed the puck into the cage with his left skate. Haula was credited with his 15th goal. The lone assist went to defenseman Mike Reilly.

“The final 58 (minutes), we were competitive,” Sullivan quipped. “We played a solid game. But the first two (minutes), we weren’t ready to play. It’s hard to spot a team two goals like that in the fashion that we did. It makes it hard to win.”

Penguins forward Danton Heinen set a new career-high with his 17th goal at 5:38 of the second period. Breaking the puck out of his own zone, Blueger gained the offensive blue line at center point and left a drop pass for Heinen. With Blueger driving the slot against Bruins defensemen Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk, Heinen utilized that trio as a screen and wristed a knuckler past goaltender Jeremy Swayman’s glove to match a season-best goal-scoring streak of three games. Blueger and linemate Brock McGinn netted assists.

Beyond that, the Bruins mostly smothered any notion of offense from the Penguins, including on their power play, which was 0 for 3.

“They’re a good defensive team,” Blueger said. “Very structured. It’s tough to score on them. When you’re chasing the game, I think they’re probably extra diligent defensively. So it makes it extra tough.”

Finishing out the regular season — let alone competing for the Stanley Cup — won’t be easy minus Jarry’s services.

DeSmith, who has not played in a postseason game since 2017 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL), vowed to make the most of the increased playing time he will absorb in Jarry’s absence.

“Good for me going into the playoffs to get some games in,” DeSmith said. “If I have to play at all in the playoffs, then I’ll be that much more prepared. For me, just focusing on my game, going out there and doing the best I can.”

Notes:

• The Penguins’ 24 shots were tired for their fifth-lowest total of the season.

• The Penguins are 1 for 20 (5.0%) on the power play in their past eight games.

• Blueger appeared in his 200th career game.

• Heinen’s previous career-high in goals was established as a rookie with the Bruins in 2017-18.

• In addition to Jarry, the Penguins’ scratches were defenseman Mark Friedman (health) and forward Evgeni Malkin (suspension).

• DeSmith’s last postseason contest was a 2-1 home loss to the Providence Bruins in Game 5 of a first-round series in the Calder Cup playoffs. Oddly enough, Heinen scored both goals against DeSmith.

• Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort appeared in his 400th career game.